40 and 41 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

Step inside the Happy Cabin. It's warm, cosy and a place where magic happens. October arrived and it really has been a magical month. Queensland at this time of year is divine. Days are warm and nights are balmy, jasmine is in the air and there's a relaxed vibe on the streets.

October is also my birthday month.   I'm not really a let's make a big fuss over me kind of girl and happy to celebrate in low key style - some good food with good company. Saying this I do also like a party and this year I got the best of both- low key celebrations and a party (that wasn't mine).

Birthday celebrations started on the night before my birthday. A Greek banquet dinner with my mum and sister at a restaurant that has a good reputation and feels more like you're in Melbourne than the Coast. If you've ever eaten good Greek food or been fed by a Greek family you'll know that they don't skimp on quantity or quality.  Feast highlights were melt in your mouth whole lemon snapper, Saganaki cheese, slow cooked lamb and a perfectly simple Greek salad with a whole piece of the creamiest fetta cheese placed on top.

Saturday, the day of my birthday, was a traditional family birthday celebration, a few presents and a cake with a single candle to make a wish. Oh happy days and nights. That evening a friend was having an 'Around the World' themed party, so I got to dress up, dance, eat and laugh but didn't have the fuss or pressure of it being my party!

The party was in full swing by the time we arrived. People and music spilled out into the yard. A yard that resembles a jungle of sorts, wild and untamed. Inside the big, old Queenslander was a place of warmth and life being lived right here right now!- happy party goers, a veggie feast, live music and a room full of crazy costumes. An around the world globe leotard worn with silver and black stripped tights was my personal favourite. Though by the early hours of the morning the leotard seemed tame as costumes were swapped and two tall gents squeezed themselves into genie costumes complete with sequinned crop tops and transparent harem pants. One chose to wear matching blue underwear, the other chose to wear no underwear, and instead improvised with underwear of sorts..a saucepan lid held tightly in place with rope. I'll let you imagine how that worked.

I danced and laughed,  drank a cup of bedtime tea (an unusual choice in the middle of a party!), danced some more before falling asleep as the party continued around me.

It was a beautiful birthday, thanks to my gorgeous family and friends. Thank you for making my heart swell with such joy, love and gratitude x

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Kylie at Octavia and Vicky. 

P.s. Kylie I'm sending you lots of love. 

39 Weeks of Gratitude (Spring at Wild Mountains)

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

"I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery - air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy." Sylvia Plath

I arrived at Wild Mountains, near Rathdowney, QLD late Friday night just as the sun was setting behind the mountains, got out of the car and took a deep breathe in and exhaled slowly. I felt the magic of the place instantly. 

I was on a volunteer weekend joining a crew of about 20 others working on a range of tasks that contribute to this amazing environmental education and conservation centre. 

The weekend was one of the best weekends I've had all years, and was the first time since moving to Qld I felt like I'd found a place and people I connected with. 

So much to be grateful for...

communal living and a kitchen with everything you could want

the joy of the simple and meditative task of weeding to prepare for planting

shared laughter, inspiring folk and good conversation 

fresh, simple, vegetarian fare

plucking edible flowers from the garden for a green lunchtime salad

curry pumpkin soup with pepita and sunflower seeds

noticing the abundance of life and beauty in a tiny space when you are really present in the moment

the crisp night air

spotting a tiny red breasted bird (a Robin perhaps) fluttering from branch to branch

the smell of earth on my hands

the star filled night and a shooting star

that sleepy feeling you get when you spend a day outdoors, getting your hands dirty 

waking up to the breathtaking view, fresh air and the song of birds

going to bed in the the complete darkness of the countryside

feeling the calm of nature seeping into my soul.

I can't wait to return.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky.

36, 37, 38 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

A few thoughts I started last Tuesday night....but didn't quite finish.  I've been a bit quiet on the blog front but with the memory of dirt on my hands and wind in my hair I'm inspired to write again.

I practised yoga this evening and I've a spring in my step, my chest feels open, shoulders are rolled back and I'm holding my head high. I can literally feel energy flowing freely throughout my whole body reaching right down to my toes. I am connected to my body again and I feel so calm and present.

 Recently I've noticed how much I enjoy singing on the way home after yoga. The thing is I don't sing very often. I have a rather terrible singing voice, I always have, and once I became old enough to realise I didn't really sound like the girl in the Annie musical I've too shy to really sing.

Not only have I held back the urge to sing when I'm with others but I've also held back expressing myself from time to time over the years. Our fears are strange beasts!  Health practitioners have often pointed out the link between recurrent sore throats and a repression of expression and emotion. Not speaking up for myself, not expressing myself, not singing often or loud enough!

 Now I'm not dreaming of having a singing career but I am making progress towards finding a way to be more comfortable with expression in many forms and I feel very grateful for the knowledge and self acceptance yoga is teaching me.

It has also been a month of ups and downs, feeling frustrated and still struggling to find a place in my new home as I previously rambled on about here. Thank goodness for yoga! and beautiful words from a good friend. She wrote what I'm calling a love letter to her friends, sharing her thoughts from across the seas whilst she travels on why each friend is important to her. Her words made me laugh, smile and cry. Seeing myself through her words I felt I knew myself again.

I'm grateful for these moments and insights that have kept me feeling sane! Oh and Spring, how could I  not mention the gorgeous bunches of Spring flowers that have been bringing nature into the home.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky.

33, 34 and 35 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love. 

And here it is. The jumbo edition of many weeks of gratitude! Actually I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

I am very grateful and feeling the love from all of you who read and responded to my last post. Thanks for your support and encouraging words. I've found myself re-reading the comments over the last few weeks and loving the wise advice you shared. 

These past weeks I've been continuing to  take action and investing time and energy into my surroundings. I've been putting down roots and spreading my wings at the same time. On the home front I've been creating cosy little spaces and now have a few kitchen shelves just for my tea collection; burning beeswax candles at night and slowly going through my music collection. Out and about I've been exploring more and more, seeking out new places to go, experiences to have and new people to meet. I'm dreaming again and feeling hopeful.

I am grateful for:

The magic of staying on an island with good friends where days stretched out with nothing to do but relax and play. Oh the serenity!

Spending Sunday with Dad on Father's Day.  So whilst my first attempt at baking something from Jude Blereau's new cookbook didn't quite work out (my sponge came out of the oven completely flat!-I'm sure it had more to do with my inexperience than Jude's instructions. I should have known when I had to youtube the 'ribbon' method). A quick trip to the shops to buy a plain sponge cake saved my arse, and I prettied it up as planned.

Mint and parsley on my little balcony herb garden. Getting ready for Summer time.

A haircut that didn't make me want to cry. I love my new hairdresser. 

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky. 

Images: Sunset on Great Keppel Island; the Father's Day sponge; minty goodness.

31 and 32 Weeks of Gratitude

52 Weeks of More gratitude. More hope. More love.

Crap, has it really been that long? The calendar tells no lies.  I've been holidaying up and down the coast, catching up with friends and it's been so nice to spend quality time doing things I love with people I love. 

On the flip side it's also highlighted a few hard truths. One being, even though I've tried really hard to like the Gold Coast the fact is I don't really like it. It doesn't feel like me. I could go on about why but I won't. There is no simple fix. I've chosen to be here to be close to my family, and that hasn't changed. I love seeing my family re and I still want that. Now to just find a way to like it a bit better!

I do feel a smidgen better already just by coming to the realisation that I don't like it.  Sigh of relief. I can stop pretending now. I've kicked in to action mode and the first thing was to get my home life in better shape, starting with the laundry (always the laundry!) and a quick tidy up of the house this evening. My head feels clearer already with more thinking space and I got a surge of inspiration to sit down and finally share a few moments of gratitude from these past weeks.

 Mountains and windy roads.

The first bunch of fresh flowers in my new home. 

A present from my sister. Gorgeous soap from Melbourne. The scent is divine.

If you've ever found yourself living in a place that's not quite 'you' I'd love to know what you did to settle in and find your place.

52 Weeks of Grateful linking up with Octavia and Vicky.